Leaving the cold behind, Miceli was ready to enjoy the sunny California weather.
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"I love the climate out here...I [always] had it in my mind," he says. "Southern California seemed more attractive to me; I had never been to [California]."
After applying to more than 20 different law schools, the city of San Diego became the most alluring to the 26-year-old. The decision was clear, and he entered Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where he is now a 3L.
Miceli wasn't your average law school type, though — even he admits to that.
"During college I didn't concentrate on being a great student," Miceli says. "[In law school] I had to learn to read for hours in a row. I had to learn to become a student. One thing law school does for you is that it teaches you discipline."
Once he made the move to San Diego and had to buckle down, his peers helped him become a more dedicated student.
Miceli graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor's degree in sports management. In college he considered pursuing sports journalism, but when he saw his roommate studying for the LSAT, he decided that his career path would be better served if he completed law school first.
"I really want to go into sports one day," Miceli says. "Toward the end of college, I was thinking [about] how I could [get into the sports business]. I picked law school because I thought it might separate me from others. A law degree would open up a lot of interesting career avenues."
Miceli, who is of Sicilian descent, has hardworking parents whom he looks up to. His mom is a nurse, and his dad is the president of the family dairy business, which sells the "best Italian cheese," according to Miceli.
"I want to do a job I'll enjoy," Miceli says, adding that his dream job would be a general manager position with a sports team. "I want to wake up every day and be happy to go to work. I don't want to [have to] count down the hours."
At first, moving to Southern California was hard for Miceli, who has strong ties to his family, but he is glad he made the choice he did.
"There are good people [in San Diego]...I absolutely made the right choice by going [to Thomas Jefferson]," Miceli says. "The best thing I did was coming out here; it made me more independent and adult. It also made me more responsible. It gave me more valuable life experience."
Miceli says he already has a job offer from a friend at a law firm but is still weighing his options. He plans to work at a firm after he graduates to pay off some of his debt before entering his dream field of sports.
"Eventually, I'm going to stalk people who work for teams," he jokes.
Miceli ultimately wants to make a difference in the lives of others.
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"I would like to help people somehow. I think that would be really cool," he says. "I like working with people."
Miceli is a member of the Sports Law Society and the trial practice lawyer association at his school. Although he admits that he can't always attend every meeting, he tries to remain as active in associations as he can.
"You can meet new people, which is good. If you're really interested in a particular area of law, you can get good information," he says. "They are good for people who have no idea for what field they want to enter."
Miceli plans to graduate in May and take the bar exam in July. He is debating whether he should take the exam in California or his other dream location: Chicago.
| Q. What do you do for fun? |
| A. Hang out with my friends, work out...love watching sports (mixed martial arts is my new fave)...reading, surfing the Internet. I like going out occasionally — not as much as I used to. I love going to movies. |
| Q. What CD is in your CD player right now? |
| A. Arcade Fire's Neon Bible and one from Common. |
| Q. What is the last magazine you read? |
| A. ESPN The Magazine. |
| Q. What is your favorite TV show? |
| A. The Lawyer. It's the best show on TV. Everyone should watch it. It's on HBO, and it's very accurate. |
| Q. Who is your role model? |
| A. My parents. I wouldn't be where I am now without them. I like Scott Pioli from the Patriots; for baseball, the Cleveland Indians' Mark Shapiro; for basketball, the Toronto Raptors' Bryan Colangelo. |
| Q. What's your favorite flavor of ice cream? |
| A. Ben and Jerry's Mint Cookies and Cream. |
"I've been [to Chicago] tons of times. I love the city...it's a lot closer to my family, which is important to me," Miceli explains. "I miss the Midwest a little bit. I miss really good Italian food. [But] I've made a lot of good friends out here."
Coming to San Diego hasn't fazed Miceli, though; he advises students interested in experiencing a different life to do it.
"Don't worry about meeting new people. You'll miss your family, but it's a great experience. It makes you a stronger person," Miceli says. "No matter what fears you have, it will be worth it probably. You really find out what you're made of."
In the future Miceli hopes to grow as a person and to find himself working in the sports industry, meeting a "nice girl," and, most of all, being happy.
Although there have been times when Miceli has felt discouraged, he says you should never give up on what you're capable of.
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"Never get down on yourself. You will have bad times where you don't do so well," he says. "As long as you keep working hard, though, things will work out nicely."
